Targeted notification of users of a communications system based on geographic location

• US 8,095,609 B1
• Filed: 03/09/2010
• Issued: 01/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Appelman, Barry, Lu, Larry L., Wang, Jian
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrell, Robert B
• Application Number:
  US12/720,044
• Time in Patent Office: 672 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A method for transmitting data to one or more users of a communications system by establishing a connection with one or more users; designating targeting rules applicable to online users; acquiring context information of online users; applying the targeting rules to the context information to identify targeted online users; and sending data to the targeted online users.

Claims

1. A method for identifying and messaging multiple targeted users of a communications system, the method comprising:

executing instructions on one or more processing devices such that the one or more processing devices perform the following;

before identifying a subset of multiple users to which a message is to be sent;

accessing targeting rules that define parameters for identifying users to which the message is to be sent, the parameters specifying at least a target geographic location;

accessing context information for the multiple users, the context information indicating at least geographic locations of each of the multiple users;

applying the accessed targeting rules to the accessed context information to determine which ones of the multiple users are located within the geographic location;

identifying a subset of the multiple users based on the application of the accessed targeting rules to the accessed context information, the identified subset of the multiple users including the users determined to be located within the geographic location, wherein the identified subset of the multiple users includes more than one of the multiple users but less than all of the multiple users;

generating the message; and

sending the message to client devices of the identified subset of the multiple users such that the message is displayed by the client devices.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the message includes data related to the target geographic location.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the data comprises a weather forecast for the target geographic location.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the data comprises current weather conditions for the target geographic location.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the message comprises a notification message.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the parameters additionally specify an online location;

applying the accessed targeting rules to the accessed context information includes applying the accessed targeting rules to the accessed context information to determine which ones of the multiple users are located within the geographic location and who are visiting the online location; and

the identified subset of the multiple users includes the users determined to be located within the geographic location and who are visiting the online location.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the parameters additionally specify a target type of access device;

applying the accessed targeting rules to the accessed context information includes applying the accessed targeting rules to the accessed context information to determine which ones of the multiple users are located within the geographic location and who employ the target type of device; and

the identified subset of the multiple users includes the users determined to be located within the geographic location and who employ the target type of device.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the parameters additionally specify a target type of software;

applying the accessed targeting rules to the accessed context information includes applying the accessed targeting rules to the accessed context information to determine which ones of the multiple users are located within the geographic location and who employ the target type of software; and

the identified subset of the multiple users includes the users determined to be located within the geographic location and who employ the target type of software.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the context information includes tokens identifying geographic locations of the multiple online users.

10. A communications system comprising:

multiple client devices, each client device being employed by a user;

one or more host devices that include hardware configured to;

access, before identifying a subset of multiple users to which a message is to be sent, targeting rules that define parameters for identifying users to which the message is to be sent, the parameters specifying at least a target geographic location;

access, before identifying a subset of multiple users to which a message is to be sent, context information for the multiple users, the context information indicating at least geographic locations of each of the multiple users;

apply the accessed targeting rules to the accessed context information to determine which ones of the multiple users are located within the geographic location;

identify a subset of the multiple users based on the application of the accessed targeting rules to the accessed context information, the identified subset of the multiple users including the users determined to be located within the geographic location, wherein the identified subset of the multiple users includes more than one of the multiple users but less than all of the multiple users;

generate the message; and

send the message to client devices of the identified subset of the multiple users such that the message is displayed by the client devices.

11. The communications system of claim 10 wherein the message includes data related to the target geographic location.

12. The communications system of claim 11 wherein the data comprises a weather forecast for the target geographic location.

13. The communications system of claim 11 wherein the data comprises current weather conditions for the target geographic location.

14. The communications system of claim 10 wherein the message comprises a notification message.

15. The communications system of claim 10 wherein:

the parameters additionally specify an online location;

the one or more host devices include hardware configured to apply the accessed targeting rules to the accessed context information to determine which ones of the multiple users are located within the geographic location and who are visiting the online location; and

the identified subset of the multiple users includes the users determined to be located within the geographic location and who are visiting the online location.

16. The communications system of claim 10 wherein:

the parameters additionally specify a target type of access device;

the one or more host devices include hardware configured to apply the accessed targeting rules to the accessed context information to determine which ones of the multiple users are located within the geographic location and who employ the target type of device; and

the identified subset of the multiple users includes the users determined to be located within the geographic location and who employ the target type of device.

17. The communications system of claim 10 wherein:

the parameters additionally specify a target type of software;

the one or more host devices include hardware configured to apply the accessed targeting rules to the accessed context information to determine which ones of the multiple users are located within the geographic location and who employ the target type of software; and

the identified subset of the multiple users includes the users determined to be located within the geographic location and who employ the target type of software.

18. The communications system of claim 10 wherein the context information includes tokens identifying geographic locations of the multiple online users.